Switch



Dec. 16, 1969 J. JOHNSON 3,484,567

SWITCH Filed Dec. 19, 1967 EMLE Q Q INVENTOR .I 1 JOHN lomsom ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,484,567 SWITCH .lohn Johnson, N. 6426 Atlantic, Spokane, Wash. 99208 Filed Dec. 19, 1967, Ser. No. 691,872 Int. Cl. H01h 19/58 US. Cl. 200-41 8 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This disclosure relates to a switch which is particularly adapted for completing circuits in a predetermined sequence. The switch includes a plurality of circumferentially spaced contacts which are sequentially engaged by a rotating switch blade. The switch blade is driven by means of a ratchet type drive whereby each time the drive of the switch is actuated, it will advance the switch blade from one contact to the next contact, opening one circuit and closing the next adjacent circuit.

This invention relates to a switch for sequentially controlling at least two different circuits. The switch is constructed in a manner wherein upon each actuation thereof, it opens the prior closed circuit and closes the next adjacent circuit.

The switch of this invention is particularly adapted for operating motors of machinery in sequence. Each time the switch is actuated, it will automatically effect the operation of the next motor in the series.

The switch basically includes a base having a plurality of fixed contacts mounted thereon. The base carries a shaft on which there is rotatably mounted a housing and the housing, in turn, carries a switch blade which sequentially engages the contacts. The shaft also has pivotally mounted thereon independently of the housing an arm. The arm has a ratchet connection with the housing whereby it will effect the rotation of the housing and the switch blade carried thereby in one direction only. The pivoting of the arm is limited by stops carried by the base so as to control the advancing of the switch blade from one contact to another.

With the above and other objects in view that will hereinafter appear, the nature of the invention will be more clearly understood by reference to the following detailed description, the appended claims and the several views illustrated in the accompanying drawing.

In the drawing:

FIGURE 1 is a plan view of the switch and shows the general details thereof.

FIGURE 2 is a schematic showing the switch utilized for the sequential controlling of two motors.

FIGURE 3 is a transverse vertical sectional view taken along the line 3-3 of FIGURE 1 and shows'the specific construction of the entireswitch mechanism.

FIGURE 4 is a horizontal sectional view taken along the line 4-4 of FIGURE 3 and shows further the internal construction of the switch.

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional view taken along the line 5-5 of FIGURE 1 and shows the specific ratchet type interlock between the control arm and the housing of the switch.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, it will be seen that there is illustrated the switch which is the subject of this invention, the switch being generally referred to by the numeral 10. As is best shown in FIGURES 3 and 4, the switch includes a base 11. The base 11 is preferably circular in outline and has extending upwardly from the center thereof a shaft 12. The shaft 12 has rotatably mounted thereon a hub 13 of a housing which is generally referred to by the numeral 14. The housing 3,484,567 Patented Dec. 16, 1969 14 includes a top wall 15, from which the hub 13 depends, and a depending skirt or body 16. The lower edge of the body 16 terminates in either touching engagement with the upper surface of the base 11 or in very slight spaced relation relative thereto. The hub 13 includes an extension 17 which projects upwardly above the top wall It is to be noted that the base 11 carries a circular contact or commutator 18 which is disposed concentric with the shaft 12 and which has a binding post 20 extending downwardly through the base 11 and being provided with an anchoring nut 21.

The illustrated switch 10 is provided with a plurality of elongated contacts 22 which are disposed in circumferentially spaced relation about the shaft 12. The contacts 22 are also spaced above the base 11 and are carried by upstanding supports 23. The lower ends of the supports 23 are in the form of binding posts 24 which extend down through the base 11 and which are provided at their lower ends with removable nuts 25.

It is to be noted that the contacts 22 terminate adjacent one another but are spaced apart sufiiciently to prevent the bridging of two of the contacts 22 during the operation of the switch 10. While the illustrated switch 10 has four contacts 22, it is to be understood that the number of contacts may vary in accordance with the requirements of the switch.

The hub 13 carries a horizontally extending switch blade 26 which is slightly flexible and which is adapted to wipe against the radially inner surface of each of the contacts 22. It is to be noted that the switch blade 22 is relatively narrow in plan and is of a width whereby when it is positioned between adjacent ends of adjacent contacts 22, there will be no arcing between the switch blade 26 and the contacts 22.

The switch blade 26 is provided adjacent the hub 13 with a depending brush 27 which continuously rides upon the circular contact 18.

It will be readily apparent that inasmuch as the switch blade 26 is carried by the housing 14, in order for switch blade to be moved from one contact 22 to the next contact, it is necessary that there be relative rotation of the housing 14 with respect to the base 11. It is proposed that the base 11 be anchored to a suitable support in a manner to be descri-ber hereinafter. Accordingly, in accordance with this invention, the housing 14 rotates about the shaft 12. Controlled rotation of the housing 14 is accomplished by means of a ratchet type drive mechanism which is generally referred to by the numeral 28.

The drive mechanism 28 includes an elongated arm 30 which is provided at one end thereof with an end portion which includes a boss 31. The boss 31 is pivotally mounted on the shaft 12 and seats on the boss extension 17. The arm 30 is retained on the shaft 12 by means of a nut 32 or other type of retainer carried by the upper end of shaft 12.

The arm 30 has an inermediate portion 33 which is enlarged and which is seated on the upper surface of the wall 15 of the housing 14. It is to be understood that the intermediate portion 33 is adapted to slide on the upper surface of the wall 15. The intermediate p0rtion 33 has a grip portion 34 extending radialfy outwardly therefrom, the grip portion 34 projecting from the housing 14.

It is to be noted that the enlarged intermediate portion 33 of the arm 30 has Vertically extending opening therethrough. The opening is identified by the numeral 35 and has slidably mounted therein a drive pin 36. The drive pin 36 is constantly urged downwardly through the arm 30 into engagement with the upper surface of the wall 15 by means of a leaf spring 37. One end of the leaf spring 37 is fixedly secured to the arm 30 by means of a fastener 38 and the drive pin 36 is secured to the opposite ends of the leaf Spring 37 by means of a fastener 40.

Referring now to FIGURE 1 in particular, it will be seen that the wall 15 of the housing 14 is provided with a plurality of circumferentially spaced seats 41. The number of the seats 41 corresponds to the number of the contacts 22. I

Referring now to FIGURE 5, it will be seen that each of the seats 41 has a sloping bottom wall 42 which terminates at its deep end in an upstanding stop wall 43. The drive pin 36 is seatable in the seats 41 and engageable with the stop wall 43 to effect a driving of the housing 14 by the arm 30.

It is to be noted from FIGURES 1 and 3 that the base 11 has a pair of circumferentially spaced upstanding stops 44 and 45. These stops extend sufficiently above the housing 14 to be engaged by the grip portion 34 of the arm 30 so as to limit the angular pivoting of the arm 30.

It is to be noted that the various components of the switch 10 are so related whereby when the arm 30 is in a normal position with the grip portion 34 thereof in engagement with the stop 44, the switch blade 26 is in engagement with a starting end of one of the contacts 22. When it is desired to actuate the switch 10 so as to switch from one circuit to the next in the sequence of of circuits, the arm 30 is pivoted first in a clockwise direction during which movement of the arm 30 the drive pin 36 engages the respective stop Wall 43 and effects rotation of the housing 14 in a clockwise direction. As the housing 14 rotates, the switch blade 26 will move along the one contact 22, then pass across the gap between adjacent contacts and finally come into engagement with starting end of the next adjacent contact. At this time, the grip portion 34 engages the stop 45 and prevents further pivoting of the arm 30 and further driving of the housing 14. The arm 30 is then moved in a counterclockwise direction back into engagement with the stop 44.

It is to be understood that the housing 14 remains stationary during the counterclockwise movement of the arm 30. Normally, the hub 33 will have sufficient frictional contact with the shaft 12 to prevent the reverse rotation of the housing 14 with the arm 30 and to retain the housing 14 and the switch blade 26 in the new position thereof. However, if necessary, other types of conventional retaining means may be provided to retain the housing in its new position.

It is to be noted that the switch 10 is supported by a pair of support straps 46 which extend from opposite sides of the base 11. The support straps 46 may be secured to the base 11 in any desired manner and in a like manner may be secured to a supporting structure in a desired manner.

It is to be understood that the switch 10 may control as many circuits as there are contacts 22. However, in the illustrated switch installation, although there are four contacts 22, there are only two circuits controlled by the switch 10. It is to be noted that two of the diametrically opposite contacts 22 are connected together by a bridging wire 47 while a like bridging wire 48 connects together the other two contacts 22 which are also in diametrically opposite relation. The two contacts connected together by the bridging wire 47 are connected to a motor M1 by a wire 50. In a like manner, a motor M2 is connected to the contacts 22 bridged together by the wire 48 by means of a wire 52. A line wire L having an on-otf switch 54 incorporated therein is connected to the circular contact 18.

It will be readily apparent from the wiring diagram of FIGURE 2 that as the switch 10 is actuated, the circuit to the motor M1 and the circuit to the motor M2 are alternately energized. Thus, when the switch 10 is utilized in conjunction with machinery having two motors which must be sequentially energized, it is merely necessary to actuate the arm 30 after each operation of the machine which requires the changing of the motor being utilized.

Although the switch 10 is particularly adapted for sequentially controlling the operation of motors, it is to be understood that the circuits controlled by the switch 10 may be of any desired type. It will also be apparent that a predetermined circuit closing arrangement may be provided by incorporating in the switch the necessary number of contacts and tying together selected ones of the contacts, where necessary, to provide for the energization of certain of the circuits more than once during each cycle of operation of the switch 10.

Although only preferred constructional details of the switch, which is the subject of this invention, have been specifically illustrated and described herein, it is to be understood that minor variations may be made in the switch construction without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, as defined by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A switch for sequentially and individually energizing a plurality of circuits, said switch comprising a plurality of separate contacts, a switch blade movable to positions engaging said contacts, drive means for sequentially moving said switch blade in one direction only and through a distance equal to the spacing of said contacts, a base having a shaft projecting therefrom, said contacts being equally spaced concentric with said shaft, said blade being carried by a housing cooperative with said base to enclose said contacts and said blade, and said housing being mounted on said shaft for rotation.

2. The switch of claim 1 wherein said drive means includes an arm pivotally mounted on said shaft for movement independently of said blade.

3. The switch of claim 1 wherein said drive means includes an arm pivotally mounted on said shaft for movement independently of said blade, and a one way drive connection means between said arm and said blade.

4. The switch of claim 3 together with stop means for limiting angular movement of said arm to the angular spacing of adjacent ones of said contacts.

5. The switch of claim 1 wherein said drive means drives said housing.

6. The switch of claim 1 wherein said drive means includes an arm pivotably mounted on said shaft externally of said housing and independent thereof, and a ratchet connection between said arm and said housing.

7. The switch of claim 1 wherein said drive means includes an arm pivotably mounted on said shaft externally of said housing and independent thereof, and a ratchet connection between said arm and said housing, said ratchet connection including a plurality of seats in said housing each having a sloping bottom wall and a stop wall, and a spring loaded drive pin carried by said arm and sequentially seatable in said seats in driving engagement with said stop walls.

. 8. The switch of claim 1 wherein a circular contact is carried by said base, and said blade has a brush constantly engaging said circular contact.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,973,630 9/1934 Johnson.

3,098,129 7/1963 Lynch et al.

3,121,143 2/1964 Landry et al.

3,246,088 4/ 1966 Maunder.

3,329,778 7/1967 Bedocs 200-16 ROBERT K. SCHAEFER, Primary Examiner J. R. SCOTT, Assistant Examiner U.S. Cl. X.R. 

